Gas Line Rupture Snarls Traffic

PLANTATION — A construction accident that ruptured a natural gas pipeline closed two major roads for more than four hours on Monday, snarled rush-hour traffic for several miles, and sent about 20 people to hospital emergency rooms.

Construction workers trying to tie a new gas line into an 8-inch main at the northwest corner of Peters Road and University Drive ripped into the pipe about noon, according to Peoples Gas Company district safety engineer Ken Post.

Emergency crews were unable to clamp the three-inch gash with the highly flammable gas flowing and the main had to be shut down on either side of the gash to enable a crew to mend the leak, Post said.

He said service to three restaurants was affected by the shutdown.

About 20 employees and customers at a shopping plaza southwest of the intersection complained of nausea and headaches from the gas, and were sent to three hospitals, where they were treated and released, said Fire Chief Robert Pudney. Others were given oxygen on the scene by Plantation emergency medical personnel.

Ninety minutes after the gas line was ruptured, at about 1:30 p.m., police closed off Peters Road for two miles from Southwest 63rd Avenue to Pine Island Road, except to motorists who lived in the area. University Drive, for a 1 1/ 4-mile stretch from State Road 84 to the access road at the south end of Broward Mall, also was closed. The roads were reopened at 6 p.m.